We're more likely to report abusive comments that attack our own social groups

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-08-19 09:01

International

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People may be more likely to report online abuse when it is directed towards someone in their own social group, according to US researchers. The team made 340 US adults flag made-up abusive social media comments under news stories on topics with clear division between groups, such as political affiliation, vaccination opinions, beliefs about climate change and stance on abortion rights. They found participants were between 17% and 63% more likely to flag abuse towards users sharing their opinion, offering new insights into how to create safer online environments.

News release

From: The Royal Society

Ingroup bias is prevalent in user reports of hate and abuse online

Royal Society Open Science

Online hate and abuse are widespread and difficult to address at scale. One important way platforms tackle harmful content is through user reporting, or ‘flagging’, yet little is known about how often people flag or whether social identity biases these decisions. Across five experiments, we examined how people flag hate and abuse in different social and political contexts. Users reliably reported abusive content, with around half of abusive comments flagged in each study. However, users were consistently more likely to flag hate and abuse directed at ingroup members. Understanding these patterns is crucial for enhancing user intervention against online hate.

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Journal/
conference: Royal Society Open Science

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: The Alan Turing Institute, UK

Funder: This work was supported by a British Academy/Leverhulme Small Research Grant awarded to F.E. (refer- ence: SRG2223 \ 230966) and core funding from The Alan Turing Institute.

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